Trick or Treat
by Gracielinn
Summary: Sometimes two people in love need a little nudge from a friend (and a cute Halloween costume doesn't hurt, either). Set in early season two. (TFP)


Trick or Treat

The flyers had gone up around Mason Industries the first week of October. Connor Mason had decided to throw a big costume party on the Saturday night before Halloween in appreciation for everyone's hard work and dedication on the time project over the past year, and it was now the day before.

" _Someone got a little carried away, again_ ," Wyatt sighed impatiently as he pulled a flyer from the front of his locker (for the third time this week), and crumpling the offending piece of paper into a ball, easily tossed it into the trash can by the door, narrowly missing Rufus as he walked in. "Hey, Kobe, watch it," the pilot teased.

Wyatt lifted a shoulder in half-hearted apology, "Sorry, man, just tired of seeing orange papers everywhere, even on the windshield of my truck more than once. Someone's got way too much time on their hands," he groused, as he started to change out of his costume.

A sheepish Rufus stammered, "Uh, yeah, about that. I'm pretty sure Jiya is the one in charge of flyers, and let's just say, she might be a little overly excited about the party," and he grinned when Wyatt rolled his eyes. "Hey, annoying flyers aside, you don't seem to be too enthusiastic about the party."

Leaving his costume in a small heap on the floor, Wyatt pulled his jeans up and buttoned them, and shrugging on a flannel shirt over his white tee, retorted, "Well, there's no reason for me to be, because I have no plans to go to the party," not seeing the dismayed look on his friend's face as Wyatt grabbed his phone and keys off the locker shelf. "Uh, okay, none of my business, I guess, but why not? It'll be fun, and Connor usually has excellent catering and top-shelf alcohol brought in. So, you know, lots of good food and free booze and probably decent music. How can you pass all that up?"

And before Wyatt could even muster a lame, half-assed excuse, Rufus continued, "And, dammit, I didn't wanna have to play the Lucy card, but c'mon, Wyatt, she and Jiya have been planning their costumes for weeks. And even if she wouldn't try to guilt you into it, you have to know she's gonna be pretty disappointed, possibly hurt, if you bail, and besides, I'm kind of surprised she hasn't mentioned it. Don't the two of you spend most of your days off with each other?"

Wyatt stood completely still for a long moment, seeming to seriously contemplate his friend's words, before raising a dark eyebrow and asking just a tad sarcastically, "All done? Got that out of your system now? Yes, I'll admit Lucy and I do see each other quite a bit in our free time, but we're not exclusive or joined at the hip. She knows me well enough by now not to assume I suddenly enjoy big parties like this, especially if I have to wear some dumb costume," and pretended not to notice the discouraged expression on the other man's face. Rufus sighed deeply as Wyatt strode from the locker room, and pulling his phone from the locker shelf in front of him, tapped out a quick message to his girlfriend ( _Jiya was gonna be so pissed_ ).

Driving home, Wyatt knew he'd probably acted like a total dick to Rufus, but Jesus, he was tired and so damn frustrated that Emma and her hired goons had gotten the best of the time team yet again on this last jump. And not to mention that ever since Lucy found out about her mother being pretty high up the Rittenhouse food chain, Wyatt had been even more determined to protect her.

Lucy's safety was a persistent, nagging concern to him, now that he feared Carol Preston had definite long-range plans for her (only?) daughter. Wyatt instinctively accepted he would willingly die to keep her from harm ( _"and why is that?" his subconscious jeered_ ), but it never even occurred to him what that really meant. Deep down though, he acknowledged that Rufus wasn't entirely wrong.

He and Lucy actually spent so much time together (short of falling into bed and satisfying his ever-growing hunger for her), that yeah, he had been lying through his teeth just now when he said they weren't joined at the hip. Wyatt despised his cowardice when it came to Lucy Preston, but after her mom's Rittenhouse bombshell, he told himself that Lucy probably had enough to worry about, without adding his brooding, PTSD, messed-up self to the mix.

And she seemed content enough with the admittedly nearly agonizingly-slow progress of their relationship ( _are we even_ _in_ _a relationship?_ ). So, despite having already recognized the "possibilities" and wanting her so badly at times he ached, Wyatt had decided he would let Lucy make the first move ( _even if it damn near killed him...God, he needed a drink_ ).

Her mission debriefing with Agent Christopher ran long, so by the time Lucy had finally gotten to the women's locker room, the guys had already gone. Although she and Wyatt often rode to work together, it was probably a good thing she had driven her own car to Mason yesterday, because she didn't think that Wyatt was all that fond of hanging around waiting for her, even if he never betrayed his true feelings.

Her busy fingers stilled as she was changing into her own clothes. " _Now that's a supremely ironic combo right there: Wyatt Logan and true feelings,_ " and a bitter little laugh escaped her as Lucy considered the sorry state of their relationship ( _are we even_ _in_ _a relationship?_ ). She sank down onto a bench with her suddenly pounding head in her hands.

Ever since her world had started to change and eventually implode, there had been fewer and fewer constants in her life, and she had tried really hard not to need Wyatt so desperately, but she was weak. No matter what hellish situation the team was thrust into, Lucy could always count on him. His firm and steady touch, deep, reassuring voice, and God, those blue, blue eyes that seemed to pierce her soul, provided the only fragments of stability she could depend on. And that was just on the job.

Now that they lived across the hall from each other in the same NSA-protected apartment building, much as she might not want to need and desire him so much, nearly all their free time was spent just the two of them. And to her secret delight, they got along quite well; in fact, rarely even disagreeing. They shopped for groceries, watched movies and ate meals together, met for drinks with Rufus and Jiya on occasion, and even ran each morning they weren't working.

She did feel like she was really getting to know Wyatt quite well, so it seriously annoyed her when he sometimes mockingly called himself, " _just a soldier, a dumb grunt who follows orders_ " because Lucy was convinced it was positively not true. One of these days, he was going to make the mistake of putting himself down in front of her one time too many, and well, she was just going to punch him or something ( _probably break my hand on his bulging bicep, but totally worth it_ ).

As painful as it was to admit, Lucy didn't exactly know where she stood with him, but she knew herself well enough to understand that Wyatt Logan was it for her, even if he had never again considered any kind of "possibilities." She had never really had many close friends in her life, just Amy, and perhaps that's why the loss of her little sister had been, and continued to be, so devastating.

But amazingly, over the past months, Wyatt had unknowingly started to fill in all the empty places in her heart, and Lucy wanted so badly to take things with him to the next level. She just couldn't be sure they were on the same page though, if he was finally over his dead wife enough to maybe love her, even if it was just a little (to her private shame, at this point, she honestly thought she would settle for Jessica's scraps).

And now that he was so important (hell, one might say, essential) to her, if she made a wrong move and drove him away, on top of losing her beloved sister, Lucy was just about certain she would never recover from two such momentous losses. So here they were, the two of them, in some vague, nebulous limbo, and something had to give soon or she was going to lose her mind (and quite possibly her soul).

She was startled from her depressing thoughts by Jiya bursting into the locker room, "Lucy! I thought you were going to talk to Wyatt about the Halloween party, 'cause I just got a text from Rufus that Wyatt told him he's not going," Her heart sank at the younger woman's faintly accusing tone, because Jiya was right. She had intended to broach the subject with Wyatt, but they had been getting along so well, and often in the past, he had made enough off-hand remarks for her to comprehend that big parties were not really his thing, so she had foolishly procrastinated about the subject, apparently for too long.

And now Jiya (and probably Rufus, too) was upset with her, and rightly so, because they were hoping to double date for the Halloween party, and she had ruined it. "I'm so sorry, Jiya, I should have asked him. And please don't get even madder, but I don't think I want to go by myself." At that, Jiya shook her finger at her and exclaimed, "Lucy Preston, you are not staying home and wasting that super cute costume we picked out, do you hear me?"

Lucy's eyes began to well up in the face of her friend's fierce determination. Wiping a finger under each eye, she conceded, "Okay, fine, I will be there, but just for a little while." "Atta girl," Jiya grinned, dark eyes gleaming. "Lucy, why don't you get dressed at my place tomorrow and you can ride here with me and Rufus?"

Lucy agreed somewhat reluctantly, not wanting to be a third wheel, but then again, she didn't want to disappoint her friends. All her happy anticipation at the thought of Wyatt seeing her in her costume had fizzled out, but she had attended enough stuffy faculty gatherings in the past that she could surely endure an hour or so of looking like a loser if it would make her friends happy.

All the rest of that day and into the evening, Wyatt was half afraid that Lucy would come over and confront him about the party, but he didn't hear a peep from her, which left him feeling oddly neglected. His luck ran out, though, early the next morning when there was a firm knock on his door. Steeling himself for a likely dressing down from Lucy, he was shocked when he looked through the peephole to see Jiya on the other side of the door.

Quickly opening the door, he was even more shocked when the younger woman barged right in, and after he shut the door, stepped up to Wyatt and punched him hard on the arm. "What the hell, Jiya?" he gritted out as he rubbed his arm ( _Jesus, that girl can punch_ ). "I am so mad at you right now, Wyatt Logan," she began. "Obviously," he responded dryly.

"Do you have any idea how much you have hurt Lucy by refusing to go to the party tonight? And, yeah, that's on her for not asking you earlier, but she kept putting it off because she knows how much you dislike big, noisy parties like this one will probably turn into. And you're dumber than you look if you don't realize that Lucy would never do anything to hurt or upset you because, duh, she's only crazy in love with you and has been for months."

Mercifully, Jiya ran out of steam, and at his clearly stunned expression, collapsed on Wyatt's sofa, a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God," she whispered, "You didn't know? You really have no clue how much Lucy loves you?" Wyatt dropped heavily onto the sofa beside her, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly several times.

"Rufus is going to kill me," she despaired. "He warned me not interfere, but I was all, 'Rufus, they are so in love with each other, but neither one will make a move' and I just wanted to help. Wyatt, I'm so sorry for interfering. It's just that you and Lucy are my friends and so good for each other, and I guess I just want you to be as happy together as me and Rufus."

Wyatt's mind was racing, and after a few minutes, he took a deep breath and putting a gentle hand on her arm, said, "Jiya, it's okay. I know you meant well, and this might sound strange, but your punch might have been just the kick in the pants I needed." "Really?" she asked, unmistakably relieved. "Yep, really. Now, I think I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help. Are you in?" And he smiled in satisfaction as she nodded fervently. "All right, here's what I want you to do..." as they put there heads together.

After making a conscious effort to avoid Wyatt all day, Lucy arrived at Jiya's apartment late Saturday afternoon with her costume, determined to go to the Halloween party and enjoy herself, if only to keep from letting her friends down. Rufus greet her enthusiastically when he answered the door. She duly admired his cowboy costume, and grinned when he asserted proudly, "Hey, I met and rode with the real Lone Ranger wearing this outfit."

"Yes, you really did," Lucy agreed with a big smile. "Where's Jiya?" and turned to see her friend come flouncing out of her bedroom in a dark purple, spangly saloon girl dress, complete with sexy makeup and wearing matching feathers in her long, black hair. Twirling around for Lucy's benefit, she declared, "Every cowboy needs his own saloon girl, am I right?" and preened when the other two laughed.

"You look so perfect together," Lucy praised, her face falling slightly as she remembered she was going 'stag' tonight. She squared her shoulders and said with a forced cheerfulness, "Well, I better get ready," and followed Jiya into her bedroom, missing the look that the couple exchanged.

A short while later, Lucy stood in front of the full-length mirror, turning from side to side. "Do you think it's too short?" she fretted, gazing at her reflection. The Tinkerbell costume was adorable, though, and she had been so excited to find one in her size at Target. And after she had confided that Tinkerbell was her favorite Disney character, Jiya had insisted she buy it.

It was a fairly basic costume, consisting of a strapless mini dress with a jagged hem made from a pale green shimmery material, and it fit Lucy perfectly. They had also found pale green suede flats with a white pom-pom on each toe that matched the dress. Jiya had pulled Lucy's thick wavy hair up in a top knot, and wove sprigs of babies breath through her hair, and helped her put on the gossamer fairy wings.

"Lucy, you look gorgeous," her friend assured her, "Now we better get going or we'll be late. I have a feeling you're going to break some hearts tonight." Lucy sighed quietly to herself ( _there's only one heart I want, and he won't even be at the party_ ).

The festivities were in loud, crowded, full swing when Wyatt got there, purposefully late. He had to admit, the largest meeting room at the Mason facility looked great, decorated with orange and purple mini lights strung all over and a wide assortment of ghosts, pumpkins, and bats, among other things. The noise level was almost uncomfortable, but Wyatt shrugged that off. He was a man on a mission.

Looking around, it felt like almost every Mason employee was in attendance tonight, and everyone was in costume. Over near the food table, Connor Mason, who was dressed like the Phantom of the Opera, was talking with Denise Christopher and her wife, Michelle. Dressed entirely in black and sporting a bright green face, the NSA agent must be the witch from the Wizard of Oz, Wyatt decided, because Michelle was dressed like Dorothy, right down to the ruby slippers and a straw basket over her arm, he was amused to notice.

He discreetly scanned the room for Lucy, but hadn't spotted her yet. Jiya had been more than happy to help Wyatt, but resolutely refused to tell him what Lucy's costume was. With a knowing expression on her face, she assured him it would be worth the surprise. Making his way over to the bar that had been set up along one side of the room, Wyatt asked for a whiskey, and before he even took the first sip, his arm was grabbed by an excited Jiya. She leaned close to his ear and practically shouted, "Wyatt, you made it. I'm so glad."

He nodded at her and fist bumped Rufus, who, if he wasn't mistaken, was wearing his cowboy clothes from the Jesse James mission. Accurately reading the look on his friend's face, Rufus retorted, "Leave me be, 'cause you know I make this look good," as Wyatt and Jiya both laughed. Wyatt took another sip, and as casually as he could, asked, "Where is she?" The couple pointed to an area in one of the corners, but all he could see was a clump of guys ( _oh, hell, no_ ).

"She's been very popular tonight," Jiya helpfully informed him. Wyatt frowned at her, and knocking back the rest of his drink, set the glass down, and excusing himself, made his way over to where Lucy apparently was. Since he knew most of the guys hovering around her, he had no compunction about pushing a few of them aside. When a couple of them started to protest, one look at Wyatt's face made them all scatter, and then it was just the two of them.

Lucy stood up quickly, and Wyatt was relieved to see the look of happy astonishment on her face, and then he nearly stopped breathing when his gaze traveled lower. ( _What was she wearing? Are those fairy wings?_ ) She stepped closer to him, and at his puzzled expression, breathlessly confirmed, "I'm supposed to be Tinkerbell, you know, from Peter Pan?" Wyatt's face cleared, and when he made a circle with his index finger, she complied eagerly, and twirled around for him.

"You look adorable," he blurted out, much to his chagrin. Blushing, she lowered her gaze, and stepping even closer, looked back up at him with glowing dark eyes and asked, "Is that your costume?" And grinning as he pointed to his tight green tee shirt and camo cargo pants, complete with his own silver dog tags, he replied, "Yes, Ma'am, I'm G.I. Joe," and at the sound of her delighted giggle, Wyatt Logan was pretty sure he had completely fallen in love with Lucy Preston.

The D.J. started playing a slow song, and Wyatt held out his hand and asking her to dance, led her out to the middle of the hastily-improvised dance floor. He pulled her slender form close to him, somehow finding a place to put his hands around the fairy wings, and they swayed slowly to the music, so close he could feel her heart beating against his.

A few long moments later, leaning back slightly, Wyatt murmured, "Lucy, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings about the party tonight. I didn't mean to. And it probably seems like I don't have strong feelings for you, but that's about as far from the truth as a person could get. I guess I've been afraid of messing up what we have by asking for more from you, but now, maybe it's time to just straight tell you."

He stopped when she placed a slim finger against his lips, and whispered, "I think I know or at least hope I know, what you are going to say, and as much as I want to hear the words, and I really do, so much, if it's all right with you, I'd rather not hear them in the middle of Connor Mason's Halloween party." Wyatt smirked around her finger, and taking her small hand, led her out of the meeting room, past a blatantly staring Rufus and Jiya.

Ducking into the nearest empty conference room, Wyatt pressed her against the door ( _those fairy wings are cute, but they have got to go_ ) and kissing her tenderly, pulled back and asked, with a twinkle in his eye, "Now can I say the words, Lucy Preston?" and at her shy nod, he breathed against the pink shell of her ear, "I love you, Lucy, so much," and was rewarded with her luminous smile as she looked into his eyes and replied, "I love you, too, Wyatt."

Pressing his forehead against hers, Wyatt confessed, "I think Halloween is my new favorite holiday," and was gratified when a smiling Lucy nodded in agreement. "Do you want to go back to the party?" he asked, and couldn't hold back his pleased surprise when she shook her head and gazing intently up at him, replied, "The only party I'm interested in is very small, just two people," and he immediately knew just the answer she was looking for. "Yes, Ma'am."

 _A/N: Well, this is my first time writing anything for the Timeless Fanfic Prompts, and it really was a lot of fun. Hope everyone likes it. And now, I gotta get back to Chapter 20 of First Steps. And it bears repeating that I absolutely do appreciate all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows, especially from the guests that I am unable to reply to. Thank you so much! :)))_


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